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Wildland Fire Monitoring

Monitoring is the orderly collection, analysis, and interpretation of environmental data to evaluate progress toward meeting objectives, and to identify changes in natural systems (NPS Fire Monitoring Handbook). Monitoring is part of the adaptive management cycle, a systematic approach for improving resource management by learning from management outcomes. Objectives, or desired outcomes, determine what and how we monitor. Then, we measure conditions and changes over time that will evaluate progress toward meeting or achieving these objectives. Results from monitoring efforts help us stay informed about the effects of management actions and also provide a basis for changing actions, if needed.

One of the ways of monitoring a fire is through direct observation for things such as flame length.

Recording and measuring vegetation on the ground before fires and then again in a time sequence after burning allows us to quantify the effects of fire, such as the changes in numbers and types of trees, shrubs, and other plants following fire.

Monitoring is critical to successful fire management. Using data collected and analyzed with varying monitoring techniques, we gather valuable information to help plan and make decisions about on-going, as well as future fires.